Windham Hill music is many things to many people – and one of the largest is music to play over the winter holidays. Check out a new site dedicated to the many holiday albums released on Windham Hill Records over the years, from the very first Winter Solstice album through more recent reissues. http://www.awintersolstice.com

In a discussion over at the Windham Hill Lovers Facebook group, Will Ackerman talked about the original of the classic Windham Hill logo:

“The logo was designed by my friend Jay Durgan… he and I were on Skyline Blvd above Palo Alto and Stanford and slightly over onto the western side on Old La Honda Rd. and walking in an open field ringed with redwood trees… Jay looked to the west and saw the sun going down behind the redwood trees and said something like “there’s your logo.” It was inventive in that it was a line drawing that incorporated a “half tone” in part of the shadow of the trees.”

Poloroid posted by photographer Randy Lutge

Introducing Windham Hill Lovers on Facebook

Fan of George Winston, Will Ackerman and other Windham Hill artists? Join to experience and share music, photos, concert info, recent releases, memories and more at the new Windham Hill Lovers group…

https://www.facebook.com/groups/windhamhilllovers/

The Windhaming Oaks have sprouted another acorn. I’ve seen so many thoughtful comments from people who care about the music and artists who came together to form Windham Hill Records. It seemed right to have a place of our own with a multitude of voices and perspectives on the music we love.

Windhaming.com will remain as a discography project (and keep the comments coming) Windhaming’s Facebook page will remain as a place to promote the activity here, and with weekly posts of music.

Windham Hill Re-issues – From a mighty oak, many acorns spring.

New re-issues, Windham Hill artists performing live, Imaginary Road studios carrying on the tradition – it’s a good time to be a Windham Hill fan

In 2009, I was trying to find liner notes for a Windham Hill album online google responded with an uncharacteristic yawn – nothing there. A quick search for a complete discography of one of the most important American labels of the late 20th century yielded incomplete results.

So much good music being ignored – it reminded me of how the now mighty Blue Note records was treated in the early 80’s before their owners realized the value of a good label. I already owned 40-50 of the 106 vinyl re-issues, and had a desire to learn WordPress and a lot of time on my hands between jobs.

And so was born Windhaming.

It felt like I was a lone voice holding up the value of Windham Hill artists (I wasn’t, but close to it). Did something change, or only our awareness of it?

Artists were touring, but few re-issues were coming out – Valley Entertainment had only two at the time. Will Ackerman had already founded Imaginary Road and artists he was producing were winning awards, but it was well before he issued the very Windham Hill-like compilations known as The Gathering (and The Gathering II).

I update the Facebook page much more frequently than this main site. if you’re not following us on Facebook, now is the time: http://www.facebook.com/Windhaming

Here’s a (certainly incomplete) roundup of some current Windham Hill activity:

Windham Hill Re-issues

The reissues are here! We’ve been beating the Windham Hill drum (okay, gong) for many years and hardly heard an echo. Now, we are in an era with a slate of reissues:
– GrassTops Recordings has put out two Robbie Basho Windham Hill albums (with Visions of the Country transferred to digital by yours truly).
– Valley Entertainment has released 10 titles (mainly later retrospectives),
– Adventure Music has just re-released Mike Marshall and Darol Anger’s Chiaroscuro and Darol Anger and Barbra Higbie’s Tideline, with three more titles scheduled to come.
– Audio Fidelity has just re-issues Michael Hedges’ Aerial Boundaries on vinyl and SACD.

Windham Hill Artists record and tour

So many artists regularly perform and record. Some are much better than others in promoting their concerts, but in the past two years, we’ve seen the following artists live (links to tour pages, where available):

• Will Ackerman
• Barbara Higbie 
• Alex De Grassi
• Michael Manring
• George Winston
• Liz Story

Also recording, touring or otherwise active:

• Mike Marshall
• Darol Anger
• Scott Cossu
• Philip Aaberg
• Mark Isham 
• GE Stinson and Phil Maggini of Shadowfax
• Linda Waterfall 
• David Qualey
• Russel Walder
• Ira Stein (plays sometimes in the SF Bay Area, but has no real web presence we could find).
• Malcolm Dalglish
• Eugene Friesen
• Wim Mertens
• Tim Story
• Paul McCandless
• Pierce Pettis
• John Gorka
• The Nylons
• Clff Eberhardt
• David Torn
• Daniel Hecht is now an author

Imaginary Road Studios – the new Windham Hill

Will Ackerman, along with Tom Eaton, continues to produce outstanding music that will be familiar to WH fans under the aegis of Imaginary Road studios. So much good new music.  http://imaginaryroadstudios.com

So go, get out there and explore. The artists are generally performing much better 30 years on than ever before. Let some new music grow on you till it gives you the same thrills as the old classics. Most of all, enjoy.

Unaccountable Effect Review

From Mark Isham’s opening synthesizer notes to the title track Unaccountable Effect, it’s clear that Liz Story’s second album (and Windham Hill’s 34th release) is delving into new territory with grace, emotion and depth. Liz Story’s debut Solid Colors shines brightly as one of the many high points in the Windham Hill catalog and in the rich selection of solo piano releases across the decades.

So how do you follow up a brilliant debut? An artist has a lifetime to create their first release, and generally a year or so for their second. For lesser artists the cracks start to show, and either you get a weaker rehash of the first album. For Liz Story, a further depth is revealed as the ideas and passions revealed in Solid Colors gain dynamic impact and space.

Unaccountable Effect is the thirty-fourth Windham Hill release and Liz Story’s second album.

Unaccountable Effect Track Listings

Side One

1. Unaccountable Effect Ο 8:10
2. Devotion 3:02
3. Mostly The Hours 4:16
4. Starfinder 4:42

Side Two

1. Rope Trick 6:12
2. My Heart, Your Heart Π 3:54
3. Leap of Faith 3:53
4. Deeper Reasons 6:03

Unaccountable Effect Credits/Liner Notes

All compositions by Liz Story and published by Windham Hill Music (BMI) except Ο by Liz Story and Mark Isham, published by Windham Hill Music (BMI) and Earle-Tone Music (ASCAP)/Lost Lake Arts Music (ASCAP) and Π by Dick Grove published by Dick Grove Publications (ASCAP)

• Liz Story: Piano, all selections. Drum on “Deeper Reasons.”
• Mark Isham: Synthesizer on “Unaccountable Effect.”
• Bob Conti: Percussion on “Deeper Reasons.”

Produced and engineered by Steven Miller.

All selections recorded at Sound Castle Studio Center, Los Angeles, CA.

Assistant engineer: Jeff Vaughan

Still in progress, the Windhaming Windham Hill Vinyl collection has recently expanded and moved into a new home under the Windhaming Oaks. We’ve had a few requests for photos over on the Windhaming Facebook Page, so we’re sharing pictures here as well. If you haven’t visited the Windhaming Facebook page, come take a look. It’s a nice community of music lovers, with frequent videos from Windham Hill artists.

I purchased about 30 LP’s, and about 50 CD’s before starting Windhaming. The remaining 100 or so have been purchased generally one by one for $1 or $2 at Amoeba in Berkeley or San Francicso. The Audiophile editions were largely found at the Beat in Sacramento. I’ve shopped a lot in Europe lately (Budapest, London, Moscow and Hamburg) and haven’t found a single Windham Hill album there, though my ECM collection has grown a bit. I’m about to place all the albums in “Blake” sleeves – the crystal-clear protective outer jackets, and so took a moment to photograph the collection while it was easier to read the titles.

You’ll see several duplicates. These are generall promo and non-promo copies, but also a few audiophile editions, DMM masters, or alternate covers (what’s up with two covers for Isham’s Film Music?) There is a copy of every disc up through 1083, then a few still missing.

Click on the picture for a larger shot. Enjoy – and feel free to respond with pictures of your own collection.